Full of Air
by veredgf
Summary: Mulder & Scully are being chased yet again… as they run, they encounter an unexpected object. (Mulder POV). Written for @txf-prompt-box challenge on Tumblr. Prompt: "A hot air balloon ride".


_Description: Mulder & Scully are being chased yet again… as they run, they encounter an unexpected object. (Mulder POV). Written for txf-prompt-box challenge on Tumblr. Prompt: "A hot air balloon ride"._

 _Time Frame: An unknown time in the middle of Season 10._

 _Fanfic Category: Could it be… MSR?_

 _Disclaimer: Don't own these cuties but can't resist playing with them. Promise to put everything away when I'm done… (I hope)._

* * *

 **"** **Full of Air" by Vered Gilad Friedman**

"Scullllllllyyyy!" Mulder cried out to his partner and then continued his breathless panting as he tried to keep up with her. He was too old for this crap. What the _hell_ was he thinking when he agreed to come back to the FBI? At least they would have given them some time to re-train and get back into shape, but noooo, they had to shove them right back into the action and now he was going to die from some form of asthma attack. He was certain that Mr. Bruckman didn't have that in mind when he said autoerotic-asphyxiation. The closest thing to erotic thoughts were feelings revolving around how tight his suit felt against his crotch and butt at that very moment. How on Earth was he able to run so fast in a suit in the olden days? There was going to be some serious damage down there after this experience and the thought of that made him cringe.

"Scullllllyyyyyy!" Jeez, she was so fast, and on heels no less. He felt so lame at that moment. Years of staying at home, stuffing himself with sunflower seeds had taken their toll. Now he regretted not listening to Scully about assuming healthier eating habits. Not only did she keep to her healthy regime, she also made the time to go on jogs every couple of days. No wonder she was amazingly agile while he barely managed to stay three steps behind her. And to think that he was the one with the longer legs.

"Oh my God!" he heard her exclaim from the distance.

"What?!" he shouted as he kept on running through the shrubs. She was out of his line of site. That's how far behind he'd gotten.

"Mulder! You are not going to believe this!"

 _Yeah Scully, why don't you just keep me guessing being that I am so very much enjoying myself,_ he told her in his mind. He was too out of breath for actual talk by then.

He kept on going. Their pursuers were still far behind, but a quick glance behind him told him that they were catching up. Their high-powered flashlights seemed closer than before. He had to up his game if he was going to avoid capture.

At last he caught sight of Scully's figure. Why had she stopped running? A small knot formed in his belly. Did something happen to her?

He made a dash for it, until he was finally right behind her. He was now so out of breath, he was unable to let out a single syllable. He just stood there, his head bowed down, his body partially folded on itself and his palms resting on his knees, trying to regain his equilibrium.

"Mulder. You were right!"

Of course she has to tell him this when he is unable to even respond. Typical. He still hadn't a clue what she was talking about.

"Mulder?" He could hear the concern in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"Out… of… breath…" he managed between pants.

She chuckled.

"Don't… say… a word…" he warned her.

Another chuckle.

He rolled his eyes and finally returned to a normal standing position and then he caught sight of the object that astounded Scully just a couple of minutes earlier and his jaw dropped.

There, in the middle of the night a huge glowing flying saucer floated in midair.

"I thought you were taking me on another wild goose chase, Mulder, but you were right."

Suddenly he could hear shouting in the distance. "Shit!" their pursuers were getting closer.

Mulder and Scully stared at each other as realization dawned on both of them. Then they burst into a super dash.

Running was slightly easier this time. They'd moved out of the forest and into a clearing. The only problem was, this would also apply for the group that was chasing them.

Scully was once again in the lead, running like a bat out of hell. He just had to somehow suck it and ignore the screaming of his muscles. He swore he was going back on a strict training regime when (if) they managed to get out of this mess.

All of a sudden he heard a rather loud thud accompanied by a cry from Scully. His heart skipped a beat. "Scullly!"

"I'm OK!" she shot back. "I just collided with something."

Somehow her attempt to assure him wasn't really working. He upped his pace, unable to believe he actually had it in him and soon he was right beside her.

"Mulder…"

"What?" he was heavily panting again.

"I hate to be the one to burst this UFO bubble on you, but I think we've been had." She wasn't gloating, even though she could. He could tell she was trying to be gentle.

"What is it? What did you run into?" _literally_ , he added in his mind.

"Well… I believe it's a hot air balloon basket."

At first her words didn't register. Then he understood. He gazed up and sure thing, right above their heads he caught sight of the glowing flying saucer, only that now he could see the source of the glow. A large flame was blowing hot air into the saucer's 'belly', keeping it afloat.

But he had no time to get pissed. Loud cries could be heard not too far in the distance. The people on their backs were now a lot closer. There was no way they would be able to outrun them now. He had to think fast.

"Scully! Get in!" he shouted as he climbed into the balloon's basket.

"Mulder!" she shot back at him, her tone and stance telling him she thought he was crazy.

"NOW!" he ordered.

And lo and behold, she responded and soon after she'd joined him within the basket's confines.

"I'll toss the sandbags out and you can cut the tethers," he kept on passing orders.

"With what exactly?" her tone aggravated.

He quickly dug into his coat and retrieved a pocket knife.

"You are such a boy scout, Mulder," she told him as she grabbed the knife.

He quickly disposed of the sandbags as Scully cut them loose and they hadn't a second to spare as shots were now being fired at their direction. Luckily the shooters were still not close enough as they began to rise.

He found the balloon's control and as he twisted it, the flames above increased and with them the speed of the balloon's ascent. He had no time to think about the direction the balloon was taking. His main goal was to gain as much distance between them and the crazy maniacs on the ground. Said maniacs were now right below them and shooting in their direction with every weapon possible. He prayed they were high enough and that those bastards would be terrible shots or else.

His prayers were answered. Finally they had gained enough altitude that he couldn't hear the deranged group on the ground or their gun firing anymore.

All of the sudden he felt completely devoid of energy. He leaned against the basket and then he let himself slide slowly until he landed into a sitting position.

"Mulder!" Scully called out, "You OK?" She crouched beside him and gave his face a good look over in the meager light the propane flames cast on them.

"I've gotten too old for running in forests in the middle of the night," he let out.

She moved to a sitting position and huddled close to him. "Your flying-saucer-chasing-days are over then? Will this be the last time we trespass on somebody's private property?"

He snorted.

"Yeah. I thought as much." She responded and Mulder knew there was a smile somewhere, lingering in the dark.

"God! My body's killing me!" he revealed. "And please don't tell me I told you so. I am going straight back to the running track once we get down."

"Speaking of which," she moved back to a standing position as she spoke, "How exactly _are_ we going to get down?"

He pushed himself up and peered into the darkness that surrounded them. "I know how to operate the balloon. There's really not much to it. The only catch is, people do not fly hot air balloons at night; too goddamn dangerous. There's no telling what we might hit on the way."

"Now you remember to tell me that?" She sounded more amused than annoyed.

He wasn't kidding. This air trip of theirs was a possible disaster waiting to happen. "Well, it was either that or getting shot by a mob."

"Neither are great choices." She pointed out.

"Nope," he told her as he stared into the black abyss and tried to make some sense of his surroundings.

He could hear rustling from her direction. "What are you doing?"

"Do you think A.D. Skinner will be awake this early in the morning?" She wondered.

"What's the time?"

He saw the bright light of a cell phone shine as Scully eyeballed it. "It's a bit over five in the morning."

"Skinner's definitely up." The man was practically a living testament to marine self-discipline. There was no way of washing the soldier out of him.

Scully tapped the phone's screen and then put it against her ear. After a minute, she let out a defeated sigh and disconnected. "There's no reception here whatsoever and no internet. We're practically stranded."

"Well, the sun will be rising pretty soon. Let's just hope we don't collide with anything until then, and once there's light we'll land this thing," he told her.

"And let's say we do manage all of that, how do we go about explaining this to Skinner?"

Trust Scully to bring up sore points; only that since they'd returned to the bureau, Skinner had become much more like an additional X-Files member than their overbearing boss. He'd fully converted into a believer right after he (Mulder) was taken by those aliens, during those early days of Scully's pregnancy with William. And now, it's like their very good buddy is their boss and he's just pretending to be pissed at them to please the party line when in truth he's in the game with them all the way.

It's kind of strange. Sometimes he's not sure it's even such a good thing. He needs somebody to restrain him at times. He knows he can go overboard and Scully, even though she does try to stop him on many occasions, most times she relents. It's not because she's not as strong-willed as he is. It's more because she believes in him, and so the both of them plunge into danger together, and their only remaining safety net is no longer there.

Well, maybe it wasn't all true. Lately a new safety net was forming. It was called 'old age' and Mulder hated the limits it held on him, and he wished he could cut loose, but the signs of wear and tear are just too evident.

"Should I take your silence as a good sign or a bad sign, Mulder?" Scully barged in on his reverie.

He sighed, feeling weary. "Skinner's a teddy-bear, Scully, and besides, those people were running an illegal scam. Didn't you see all those stands we passed by? Selling UFO merchandise? I betcha they were all in on it making a great number of pretty bucks from all those innocents who truly believed they were seeing a real UFO sighting."

"I guess that takes care of Skinner but it's not quite what you hoped for," she said as she moved closer and leaned beside him against the basket's side.

He drew in a deep breath. "No."

"It's not like this is your first UFO scam, Mulder, yet you sound so defeated. What's really eating you up?"

He turned his head and his eyes met her deep blues. Of course they were mostly hidden by the night's darkness but their glistening brought on by the burning flame from above made his heart dance. The same flame also enhanced the red tang of her hair, making it almost pop out amidst its black surroundings. She was so beautiful and she was all his, even though they didn't consider themselves as a couple anymore. He knew without a speck of doubt that there was nobody else for her; or for him, for that matter.

"C'mon, Mulder," she prodded, "spit it out."

He offered her a jaded smile. "Did you ever wonder just how long we'd still be doing this, Scully?"

"I don't know. We were out of this game for a long time. I'd sort of accepted that it was all over."

"I know what you mean," he continued, still deeply gazing into her eyes. "Back in the day when we were young—"

"Speak for yourself, Mulder. I'm _still_ young."

He couldn't help but smile at her interjection and he was enthralled by the changes her expression took when she smiled back at him in that girly fashion of hers.

"Thanks for pointing that out to me Scully. I feel so much better now."

"You're welcome," she teased.

"So anyway… back then I didn't have time to think about how long we'd be doing this. All I wanted was to get to the truth, to unveil the mysteries and to get answers to all my questions. Nobody told me that some twenty plus years later I'd still either not have most of the answers or that the ones I did eventually figure out would be a load of bull like this tacky flying saucer/balloon we're stuck in right now."

"So what's your point?" she asked.

"Not quite sure, I guess," he admitted. "It's a combination of sorts. We are both in our fifties. At this ripe age many agents switch to less physical positions. It's to be expected. I don't see myself chasing alien bounty hunters or super soldiers on foot, climbing fences or running like a maniac through God knows what and where till kingdom comes. Even after I'll get back into shape, I am certain I won't be able to re-live my golden boy days. In any other department, I'd probably be managing a team of investigators and training younger agents like Bill Patterson trained me. But in the X-Files…" he trailed off.

"What about the X-Files," Scully picked up the conversation. "Do you want to have a team under you Mulder? Somebody to train so they'd follow in your footsteps?"

"That's just it," he told her. "I really don't know. I do know that the two of us won't be able to go on forever doing this. Today's experience was ample proof of that. But we were gone from the X-Files for so many years and nobody took over. It's like nobody cares and it seems as if the world moved on without us doing our thing and the world did quite well without us. I'm just wondering if anybody would even _want_ to come and learn the trade."

He could hear rustling as her hand made its way to his until it finally rested upon it. She part squeezed his palm; part massaged it as if she were trying to soothe him.

"I'm not quite sure the world did OK without us, Mulder. To me it seems the world just got lucky that somehow the sky didn't fall on it while we were away from our posts."

He let out a chuckle. "Dana Scully, you mean to say that the world basically revolves around us? That it will basically go into a standstill and the craziness will cease during the period we are too out of it to address it?" He gave her an obnoxious grin but then he felt something sharp poke his ribs and he let out a yelp. It was Scully's elbow protesting on her behalf. "Hey!" he cried out. "No need to get all touchy on me now."

"Well, that's what snide comments will get you, Mulder."

"It's just that your presumption is somewhat far-fetched," he told her. "Granted, it's sort of true to a certain degree. Things have been uncannily quiet ever since we dropped off the face of the Earth, but to make it as if the world was just waiting for our return…"

"OK, Mulder, if you're so smart, what's _your_ explanation for this? I mean, when we left the X-Files, super soldiers roamed the Earth and now there's nary a super soldier in sight. And that conspiracy we were both fighting against was still alive and breathing during those day, but it seemed to drift into a major snooze while we were AWOL. But now that we're back in the game, it's all happening again… well, sans those super soldiers, but otherwise this whole crazy shit is alive and kicking. What exactly can you say about all of this?"

He didn't really have an answer. It was weird; somehow it _did_ feel like it all revolved around them. And what if it did? Would quitting the X-Files resolve the matter? And if they quit, what was he going to do? "Scully, what if we left again?"

"Mulder? You're kidding me, right?"

Dawn was beginning to take hold of the world and Scully's astounded expression became visible. Mulder adored her incredulous expressions with that tiny quirky pout of hers and her ruffled forehead.

"It's just that if all of this is due to us and if working in the X-Files unit once more could possibly endanger you again… I'm not sure this old heart of mine could take any of this anymore."

She offered him a compassionate squeeze of his hand and then she pulled in closer and tried to hug him with her short hands. "You know I'll be OK, Mulder. I'm immortal after all," she told him, her voice muffled as she spoke with her mouth against his chest.

He pulled his arms out of her embrace so that he could wrap them all around her. They stood there in silence as the sky color gradually transformed from dark grey to a murky bluish hue and slowly to purple and then pink, red and finally to bright orange as the sun made its appearance.

"Scully?"

"What?"

"If we would leave the X-Files to save the world and ourselves from inevitable doom, what do you think you'd do?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious to me. I'd go back to being a doctor. Maybe I'd even return as a Quantico instructor."

"Yeah. I thought as much."

"Coming to think of it, you can get a teaching position in Quantico as well, Mulder."

He snorted loudly. "Sure. I'll be the instructor for the course 'UFO sightings for dummies'."

She laughed. "Hey, I'll be teaching the infamous course 'A Grey's Anatomy – everything you need to know about alien autopsies'."

"I'm going to sit in the front row. I promise to drive you crazy with questions Professor Scully."

An amazing smile lit up her face as she laughed at his antics, then she settled down and their eyes locked onto each other. As if in slow motion, their faces moved closer until their lips touched and they fell into a passionate kiss. The energy of the moment set an explosion of feelings both physical and emotional through his body and soul. He didn't want it to end. All he wanted was to remain in the middle of nowhere, up above the world, with Scully.

All of a sudden he felt a strong vibrating sensation emanating from his butt. He was still so deeply immersed in the moment he was having with Scully, that the unexpected vibes made him jerk.

His movement startled Scully and her eyes widened with shock. "Huh?!" she blurted.

His mind quickly figured out the source of the tremor. It was his phone. They must have begun to lose altitude and they were back on the cell grid.

Reluctantly he pulled his right arm out of his embrace around Scully and then he fished the pulsating contraption out of his back pocket.

The smartphone's screen had Skinner's face plastered all over it and he showed it to Scully.

"Let me do the talking," she suggested.

He didn't argue as he handed his phone over to her.

She swiped the screen and put it against her ear. "It's Scully, Sir."

There was a loud rumble pouring out of the cell and into Scully's ear. Mulder couldn't make much of what Skinner was yelling about, aside from the words: 'fucking mess', 'Mulder' and 'UFO'. Scully tried to explain but the A.D. was definitely in a foul mood and all she could manage in between his tirade were a few single syllables. Finally she handed the phone to Mulder.

"It's the 'Teddy-Bear'…" she whispered as Mulder put the cell to his ear.

Mulder braced himself for impact.

 **THE END**


End file.
